Products and goods oftentimes are packaged in the flexible packaging, which is frequently made of plastic. The flexible packaging is used to hold food products, cement, fertilizer, fluids of all kinds, and other materials.
However, the use of flexible packaging is not without problems. Indeed, many people attempt to open the flexible packaging with their fingers, only to find that the task is very difficult, because the plastic or other material from which the flexible packaging is made has a high tensile strength. The flexible packaging may even stretch before the user gains access to the contents. Such rough handling of the flexible packaging is not desirable because the product housed inside the flexible packaging could be damaged, as is frequently the case when, for example potato chip bags are opened.
In addition, people, in an attempt to open such packaging, have been known to resort to using their teeth to create a break in the flexible packaging. This can cause dental damage. People also resort to using various objects to puncture the flexible packaging, for example a pen or pencil when there is no sharp cutting instrument handy. As a result of using such articles, the person could unintentionally jab himself or herself.
Past attempts to overcome this problem have made use of expensive materials and fabrication techniques. For example, lasers have been used in an attempt to burn the flexible packaging in order to create a way to gain access to the interior of the flexible packaging. However, lasers typically burn completely through the flexible packaging and are difficult to control. Thus, the laser undesirably causes invasive openings to be formed in the flexible packaging. In addition, lasers are dangerous, especially in a factory setting, and they are expensive to purchase and require expensive support equipment.
Thus, there is a need for a tear mechanism for flexible packaging that is inexpensive. There is a need for the tear mechanism be to reproducible, such that the flexible packaging having the tear mechanism can be mass produced. Also, there is a need for the tear mechanism to be easy to manually open, so that the need for scissors and knives is eliminated. Also, the tear mechanism has to be such that it does not compromise the seal of flexible packaging containing, for example, perishable items. Additionally, there is also a need for an apparatus that can form the tear mechanism in the flexible packaging.